/man"i tooh'/ , n. , pl. manitous , ( esp. collectively ) manitou .
(among the Algonquian Indians) a supernatural being that controls nature; a spirit, deity, or object that possesses supernatural power.
Also, manito /man"i toh'/ , manitu /man"i tooh'/ .
[ 1605-15; monat·u, reinforced by or reborrowed from Ojibwa manito· and other cognates (all
maneto·wa ); sp. influenced by equivalent F word ]